It remains a mystery why one of England's best players left midway through the last World Cup and has not represented his country since.
Ben White has never publicly said why.
However, he continues to excel in Arsenal's defence, and continues to attract the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate as one of the Premier League's top players.
But last week Southgate said White was still unavailable for England and could withdraw from the European Championship in Germany.
“For me, that's a huge shame,” Southgate said. “He is a player we took to the Euros, a player we took to the World Cup and the reason I spoke to him after Qatar was because I wanted to choose him.
“I want to leave that door wide open. He will be on this team, but we don't have him so we have to focus on who can help us.”
According to the English Football Association, White has withdrawn from the 2022 World Cup early due to “personal reasons”.
The reasons have not yet been explained and Southgate has denied reports that there were problems between White and England assistant Steve Holland.
White's World Cup exit was sudden and came just before England's first knockout match. At the time, the FA asked that “the player's privacy be respected” but did not provide further details.
White, 26, has previously spoken out about his unusual attitude towards football, revealing he rarely watches matches.
“I just loved this game. I played it all the time and never watched it,” he told Sky Sports in 2021.
It hasn't done him any harm.
He joined Arsenal from Brighton in 2021 for £50 million (about $69.5 million) and has been instrumental in the London club's resurgence over the past two years. The Gunners lead the Premier League and have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
With England considered one of the favorites to win the title, it's no wonder Southgate wants to add him to his squad ahead of the Euros.
There is no doubt that White will improve England's chances, but his reluctance to get involved is baffling to everyone. In particular, when he received his first international call-up in 2021, he said, “I cried for about an hour.''
Southgate is yet to convince him, but one of his Arsenal team-mates is giving it a try. New England captain Declan Rice.
“All that matters is what he thinks. He obviously doesn't want to play for England at the moment,” Rice told talkSPORT radio. “I really hope he (changes his mind). I see him every day, so he's a very good person. For people who don't know, he's a very nice person, very level-headed, Very calm.”
“When he's on the football pitch he'll do whatever it takes to win, but I think for England he can also play as a centre-back or as a right-back, like an opposite full-back.”Now he's playing for me It's a really important tool that we have in our hands. So I hope he changes his mind. ”
White is not the first player to opt out of the England squad.
Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes retired from international football at the age of 29, later explaining that he “didn't enjoy it”.
Blackburn striker Chris Sutton refused to play for England B and never represented his country again. He later stated that he regretted this decision.
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